A recent study has shown that spending time with therapy dogs can significantly reduce children’s stress levels, even more than relaxation exercises. This is especially important for children in hospitals, where the need for comfort and companionship is high. However, when there aren’t enough therapy dogs available, alternative solutions are necessary.
One such solution is robotic dogs. Seven-year-old Josh Summitt, who misses his own dogs while in the hospital, was introduced to three robotic dogs – Max, Otis and Stride – by Stanford Children’s Health. These robotic dogs are designed to help reduce anxiety in young patients and were created through a collaboration between Stanford’s engineering students and the hospital’s Chariot Program, which focuses on improving patient care through innovation.
Gabriel Levine, an engineering student at Stanford University, emphasized the immediate impact of the robotic dogs on cheering up the children. While therapy animals have been known to alleviate pain, anxiety and depression, doctors are optimistic that the robotic dogs offer similar benefits to patients. Dr. Ellen Wang, co-director of the Chariot Program, noted that the robotic dogs have helped engage patients in ways that were not possible before. Anesthesiologist Dr. Teresa Nguyen shared a powerful anecdote about a patient who almost forgot about going into surgery because he enjoyed spending time with the robot.
Josh’s mother Amelia Summitt observed how the robotic dogs sparked her son’s curiosity and allowed him to be a typical seven-year-old despite being in the hospital. Stanford Children’s Health is concluding its pilot phase with the robotic dogs and is looking to further develop them based on their positive reception. Stanford students are currently working on a new version of the robot dog that promises to be even more interactive and agile.
This study highlights how technology can play an important role in improving mental health outcomes for children in hospitals. It also shows that even though traditional therapy animals may still be valuable resources for these patients, alternative solutions like robotics can provide similar benefits while also addressing specific needs of these patients such as reducing anxiety levels.
The collaboration between engineering students and healthcare professionals highlights how interdisciplinary approaches can lead to innovative solutions that address complex medical problems like mental health issues for children in hospitals.
Overall this study shows how technology can play an important role in improving mental health outcomes for children in hospitals while highlighting alternative solutions like robotics as well as interdisciplinary collaboration between healthcare professionals and engineers to create effective solutions that address specific needs of these patients such as reducing anxiety levels.
